


The Sapphic Raiders of the Lost Ark

by Lieju



Category: Indiana Jones Series
Genre: (such as the lack of lesbians), AU: Lucas and Spielberg had good tastes and made Indiana Jones a lesbian, AU: lesbians, F/F, Genderbending, Internalized Homophobia, Period-Typical Homophobia, a fix it fic i guess, retelling of the raiders of the lost ark, the scenes i'm skipping just basically happened the same, to fix some things that bothered me in the movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: ”I always knew you would walk through my door,” Marion told the older woman. ”Something made it inevitable.”Indiana Jones walks back into Marion's life and things change.(The Raiders of the Lost Ark but Indy and Belloq are lesbians)
Relationships: Henry "Indiana" Jones/Marion Ravenwood, Rene Belloq/Henry "Indiana" Jones, Rene Belloq/Marion Ravenwood, Rene Belloq/Marion Ravenwood/Henry "Indiana" Jones
Comments: 27
Kudos: 20





	1. I always knew you would walk through my door

Marion slumped against the counter, fighting the effects of the alcohol. She groaned at the knock on the door.

”Didn't you hear me? We're closed!”

She could hear the bar door opening and stood straighter.

”Hey!”

She stopped.

”Hello Marion.”

Marion stared at the tall woman on her doorstep.

”Indiana Jones...”

She was the same, the same smile, the same self confidence that had a decade ago convinced Marion that it was okay for girls to be loud, and wear trousers and men's shirts and get into fist fights and kiss other girls-

Indiana looked at her and Marion knew she was still out there asking the world why shouldn't she just have all the same things men did, and without waiting for an answer just _taking_ what she wanted-

Marion felt like 10 years were suddenly shed away and she very much wanted to kiss her. Indiana was older now, with more wrinkles around her eyes but everything about the way she held herself, the way she dressed, was the same, she was even still wearing that same hat!

”I always knew you would walk through my door,” Marion told her. ”Something made it inevitable.” She stepped closer. ”So, what are you doing here in Nepal?”

”I need one of the pieces your father collected-”

A shock of emotion ran through Marion. Indiana too thought the ten years didn't matter. That she could just reinsert herself into Marion's life as if she was still the same girl-

Marion punched her.

Indiana pulled back, shock evident on her face.

 _Good,_ Marion thought.

”I learned to hate you in the last ten years,” Marion told her.

It was as if speaking it aloud dispersed some spell. Marion remembered every single bitter thought she had had of Indiana during this decade. A decade! Ten years _stolen_ from her!

Indiana rubbed her chin. ”I never meant to hurt you.”

”I was a child!” There was sadness in Marion's voice now, and she was painfully aware of it. She wished for that anger again. Better anger over what Indiana had done to her than the memory of lost innocence. ”It was wrong and you knew it!”

”You knew what you were doing,” Indiana said.

“Now I do! This is my place! Get out!”

She had managed to scrape together some kind of a life for herself here, eventually. And now she had a terrible feeling everything would change and she wasn't sure it was going to be for the better.

Indiana refused to obey. Instead she walked to Marion.

”You can't seriously accuse me of what happened.” She leaned in closer. ”I might have introduced you to some brand new ideas that had never crossed your mind before but you leaped at the chance! Have you convinced yourself it was me tempting innocent lil' you into sin?”

Marion shook her head, feeling again like she was on an uncertain ground. ”I-”

”You would have figured it all out yourself. All I did was offer you some practical tips and guidance-”

”Guidance! All you did was ruin my life! My father was horrified! Did you ever stop to think what happened to me afterwards? How isolated he kept me in the fear of me-”

She stopped, memories of his concerns clear in her mind. And how there had been more than little basis for them. Indiana might have been the first but afterwards Marion had looked at other women and the desire had bubbled into the surface again-

If Indiana had never smiled like that to her, and taken her hand, and kissed her...

Maybe she would now be living a happy life, married, with a child or two.

Instead of the idea of letting a man touch her like that filling her with disgust.

If she had never known what it was like with a woman-

“Where's Abner?” Indiana asked.

“Abner's dead.”

Marion shook with rage.

Anger.

_Good._

For the first time she saw regret on the older woman's face.

”Marion, I'm sorry.”

Marion wanted to forgive her. Forgive Indiana how she had made her believe it was all fine and right and that everything would work out-

Only to abandon her when her father found out.

“What you did to me and my life...”

Reality descended on Marion. She had learned during the ten years there were no happy endings, definitely not for her.

 _For Indiana, maybe_ , Marion thought bitterly. _God, maybe the thought of what she is and what she does being wrong never did cross her mind. Maybe she just is free to take what she wants and to run off when the consequences hit the people whose lives she has touched._

”I did what I did, we don't need to be happy about it but maybe we can do some good for each other now.”

She looked at Marion. ”I need one of the pieces your father collected. It's more important than you know. A medallion, round, around this size, made of metal, with a bird and a red jewel.”

Marion closed her eyes.

_Of course._

Indiana had come to her because she wanted something.

 _And it's not even_ _me._ _It's some old junk my father stashed away_.

But at least Marion now knew how she felt about her.

”Some good, huh?”

Marion opened her eyes and glared at her, and felt nothing but disdain. ”Maybe I have it. Might even part with it. For a price.”

She would take what she needed from Indiana, then.

Get away from this place and start a new life somewhere.

And leave the memory of her far behind.


	2. Just an associate

Marion watched Indiana greet the Egyptian man and say something in a language Marion recognized as Arabic. A language Marion had never known more than a phrase or two despite her father dragging her along with his travels. Marion wasn't sure if Abner had even thought of it but their mobile lifestyle had certainly kept Marion more isolated even before the _unpleasantness_ with Indiana. Even if Marion had met other people they had more often than not been adults, and on the rare occasions she had stayed somewhere with other children she usually hadn't shared their language. For long periods of Marion's life she had had nothing but books she had managed to acquire for company...

Marion observed the Egyptian man and the rest of his family. Friends of Indiana's. Marion couldn't understand the language but the expressions on their faces were clear...

Indiana's eyes shone as she explained something to the man Marion gathered was named Sallah.

Marion couldn't help a smile tugging at her lip. She could guess Indiana was talking about the archaeological dig...

Maybe it was okay to admit she had missed some things about her.

It was in any case undeniable Indiana had sneaked back into her life. They had sat in silence during the first plane ride, with neither willing to discuss what had happened to Marion's tavern. This had morphed into quiet co-operation as they had traveled first to Baghdad and then Egypt.

And now-

It was terrifying how easily Marion could see herself forgiving her-

_No._

There would not be true forgiveness.

It would be her deluding herself into ignoring everything that had happened...

Pretending that the fire that had wiped out her life in Nepal had wiped the slate clean. Instead of being just one more reminder of how Indiana Jones brought destruction to everywhere she went.

Indiana turned towards Marion and spoke in English: ”This is Marion, my associate.”

Marion nodded in greeting.

”Just an associate,” Marion said. ”A business partner.”

Sallah gave a little bow. ”You do not need to worry here. I know Indiana very well and she knows me. There is a bond that is formed amongst people who occasionally need to dip into the less legal side of things. Neither of us will sell out each other. She is like family to me.”

”We're just friends.” Marion blushed.

Sallah turned to Indiana. ”Speaking of such matters- It seems the Nazis too have found it in themselves to ignore certain inclinations in people, people who can be very useful to them.”

”What do you mean?”

”There is a female archaeologist working for them. I do not know her name, they do not refer to her by that.” He looked at the children around them. ”Rather by terms not repeated in polite company.”

”Is she French?” Indiana asked.

”Yes.”

”Belloq.”

Marion wondered about the way Indiana said that name... She seemed to tense up, before shaking her head.

Sallah nodded. ”So you do know her. She is good.”

”She is,” Indiana admitted.

”The only person at the German dig who knows what they're doing. She'd need to be good for them to tolerate her and take orders from her.”

”Yes...” Indiana had an odd expression on her face. ”I wouldn't have thought she would sink this low, even for her it's- Never mind that, it doesn't matter. Belloq won't get far without the key even if she has located the map room. Marion, give me the medallion.”

Marion glared at her but held out the headpiece to her.

Indiana ran her fingers on the markings. ”I need someone to translate this. Paleo-Hebrew text.”

”I can help with that. I have connections to the local Hebrew scholars. But Indy...” Sallah looked around as if something was watching them.

”Do you know what you are doing here? Do you understand?”

”This time period isn't my _expertise_ , true, but I am familiar with-”

Sallah shook his head. ”No. The Ark. This is not an ordinary archaeological relic. I know you well enough to know you will go after it anyway. But it is not something meant to be possessed by humans. Please be careful.”

Indiana smiled. ”I'll keep that in mind.”

Marion's blood ran cold. She had a vision of the past, of Indiana smiling at her, and herself knowing it was a bad idea, but going along with it anyway-

”Don't worry about that,” Marion said, voice cold. ”Indiana will take the Ark away from here and you won't have to worry about that.”

_Let's just hope she won't invite disaster upon these good people in the process._


	3. You weren't there

Marion giggled as the small monkey hung from her shoulder.

”I wonder where that critter came from,” Indiana mumbled. ”You should keep your eye on your valuables.”

”She doesn't trust you!” Marion told the monkey.

The monkey had appeared to the balcony they had been having dinner with Sallah's family and begged for food so cutely it had melted Marion's heart. It obviously belonged to someone, but maybe it was just begging for treats from tourists.

Without warning, the monkey jumped off.

”Hey!” Marion yelled. ”Come back!”

But the little creature ran off, disappearing into the crowd at the market.

”You scared her off!” Marion said, laughing.

”Looks like your little friend went home.”

Marion looked around the marketplace. ”It's been ages since I was here... In Egypt, I mean.”

”You were here with-” Indiana paused.

”With my father, yes. Last time was, let me think, seven years ago or so.”

She glanced at Indiana, challenging her to remark on it. She did not.

Instead she asked: ”Did he ever- How close did he get? To Tanis?”

”Hm. He was pretty sure the ruins were somewhere in the Nile delta... There were bunch of cities that were possible candidates. To begin with-”

Marion felt like a shadow had passed her. But in a way it was good to talk about Abner.

And maybe Indiana deserved to know...

”He used to say, originally, that it was likely Tanis had been already discovered, and simply not identified correctly. But later on he started to think it was still undiscovered, a sleeping city under the desert sands...”

”Well he was right,” Indiana pointed out. ”I would love to know more about how the German expedition located it-”

Marion shook her head. Indiana didn't get it. Marion had watched her father change.

”He wanted to uncover something new, I think- It wasn't just that he wanted to be the one to correctly identify Tanis he wanted to be the one to _uncover_ it- He started to run after these wild ideas just because they- they were romantic to him!”

”Marion-”

”Why did you think he spent his last years excavating a mountainside middle of nowhere in Nepal? He bought into some rumor about a smuggling operation having worked there and got it into his mind the smugglers had gotten their hands on the Ark. He connected some dots no one else ever had, because it appealed to him! That kind of a wild leap of faith, some hidden pattern only he could see!”

”That doesn't sound like Abner.”

Marion recalled the last time she had been in Egypt. How her father had been ecstatic, being called to give his expert's opinion on some relics found in Tell el-Dab’a. She had watched all excitement drain from her father's face at the disappointment of the Minoan relics. How he had set down the ancient vase carelessly, breaking it. And he hadn't cared. It hadn't been the Ark-

”Maybe you didn't know him,” Marion snapped.

”Abner was a scientist with a love for the past.”

”You weren't there.”

Indiana looked at her. ”You're right.”

They walked in silence.

”Marion,” Indiana said, smiling. ”I think we should prepare for a bit. For the expedition. I have some money, I got funding- If you wanted to get something.”

Marion considered it. She had lost almost everything in the fire and had already used Indiana's money to get some essentials. She could use more clothes.

She had bought the sun dress she was wearing now as soon as they had arrived to Egypt. It had been so long since she had dressed like this. She had even put some effort into her hair.

Maybe, she admitted to herself, she had wanted to look completely different from Indiana.

She looked at the taller woman. Even though she had left her leather jacket behind- Even with her messy ponytail- She was tall for a woman but it wasn't just that... Nothing about the way she carried herself had an ounce of femininity in it.

Marion wondered if for a quick observer they would come across a man and a woman.

A couple.

”Don't you worry?” Marion asked. ”That people will notice you're a woman?”

Indiana gave her a look. ”People don't look twice lot of the time. Not at strangers passing them by. Anyway they do notice if they pay attention, if I talk to them, but so what?”

Of course she wouldn't be afraid of the consequences.

”Because you will be gone tomorrow,” Marion said.

”Marion, I keep saying I'm sorry.”

”And I'm not interested in hearing that. Just thinking about my options.”

That was true. She would have to decide what to do after this was all over. Maybe she would go back to the US, maybe she would wear dresses and play nice, maybe she could even keep pretending her father was alive. She was fairly certain he hadn't been declared dead... It might make things easier for her-

Marion looked around, snapped out of her reverie. ”Indiana?”

She was alone.

”Jones!”

A hand grasped her wrist. Before Marion could react Indiana pulled her into a dark alley.

”We're being followed,” she hissed.

”By who?” Marion stepped forward to peek out of the alley.

”By some Europeans in white suits, they stick out like a sore thumb, trust me. Must be the Germans...”

Marion spotted the man in white. ”Surely they won't try to attack us middle of the crowded bazaar?”

Indiana took her arm. ”I wouldn't bet on it.”

She turned towards Marion. ”Stay here. I'll see if the route is clear.”

And with that she was gone.

Marion watched her back move away and disappear into the crowd. ”Jones!”

Cursing under hear breath, she retreated back into the dark alley.

She heard a familiar sound. A squeak.

”You!” she turned to the monkey. ”I don't have any food for you, I'm sorry-”

She stepped back and almost collided with someone.

”Sorry!” She tried to remember the few Egyptian phrases she knew. ” _Salaam aleikum!_ Sorry!”

The man took a step towards her and before she could get away she was grabbed from behind and a wet rag was pushed on her face.

Marion reacted fast, pulling away before the man got a good hold of her.

She stumbled into the market, head spinning. ”Jones!”

The rag had been drugged-

She ran, bumping into people. She had to get back to Sallah's place. She remembered the gate-

”Jones!”

She had left her-

A hand grasped her sleeve. She could hear fabric torn.

Marion was pulled into the dark.

* * *

Indiana observed the crowded street, trying to decide if she could trust they wouldn't try anything in broad daylight. Or if it'd be better to get into a less crowded place where it'd be easier for her to defend herself.

The people around her were moving, chatting and shopping, pushing against each other-

She detected different movement. Not the German she had been keeping an eye out for. A man clothed in black, moving towards her in a determined manner, pushing people out of the way. Indiana saw a flash of something metallic. The man was armed, with a dagger- no, a sword.

And others like him were moving towards Indiana in the crowd.

”Jones!”

_Marion._

There had been true terror in her voice.

The men dashed towards Indiana. She could spot three- no, four. They were trying to surround her. Indiana had her gun but shooting at a crowded market-

So she ran back to where she had left Marion.

The alley was empty.

”Marion!”

Shadow fell on her as a man in all black stepped before her. She could hear more of them behind her-

The man in front of her pulled out a curved sword. The alley was too narrow for Indy to effectively use her whip.

But she still had her fists.

She dashed forward and punched the man in the face. The element of surprise was on her side and he dropped his sword. Before he could collect himself Indiana pushed past, quick.

Marion...

The people at the market had realized something was wrong and the people started to disperse. _Good._

Indiana pulled her whip out. At least here in the open she could use it to keep her attackers at bay. Four men with swords... She lashed with her whip. The men paused, assessing the situation. They knew they couldn't get close to Indiana easily, not as long as she had the whip. She watched the men look at each other, trying to see if any of them would be willing to charge at Indiana. It wouldn't take long before they'd figure way past her defenses.

Indy aimed her whip at the man who was the closest. This time she went for the eyes.

The man screamed, dropping his sword. The others hesitated.

_Good._

She heard a scream.

”Marion!”

She turned around and could just see two men pushing Marion into a large basket.

”Let her go, you bastards!” Indiana called out.

Indy pulled out her gun.

She hesitated.

She couldn't risk shooting she might hit the basket-

She almost got sliced up by a swing of a sword. No time to get distracted. The men had gotten close.

Indiana retreated. She considered trying to disappear into the back alleys but she couldn't lose the sight of the basket Marion was in. She had to get rid of these men quickly and then go after her.

She whipped at the swords, hitting one swordman's fingers. But he held onto his sword. She attempted again, letting the whip wrap around the weapon. She tried to pull the sword away with the whip. The man held onto his sword and pulled. He was stronger. The whip slipped from Indiana's hand.

The man grinned, twirling his sword, certain of his victory.

Indiana shot him.

People around her screamed as the swordman fell. The other attackers took one look at their dead companion and ran off. Indy ignored them and dashed towards the direction she had seen the men with the basket disappear to-

Just in time to see them lift the basket effortlessly into a German truck.

_Maybe if I can hit the tires-_

She fired. Once, twice. The truck continued on, accelerating.

She steadied her arm and shot again.

Just two bullets left, she had to make each and every one of them count-

She was certain the second to last bullet had hit a tire but it seemingly had no effect.

_Last bullet. Please stop-_

She pulled the trigger.

The truck was consumed by an explosion.

Indiana jumped to safety.

She struggled up, ears ringing.

The truck! It had been loaded with-

”Marion!” she called out.

But not much of the truck was left and what little there was was consumed by a raging inferno.

Marion...

_She is dead._

Indiana dropped her gun as if it too was burning her hand.

Fire. Just like the inferno that had destroyed the bar in Nepal-

Marion was dead.

_Because of me._


	4. Belloq!

“Belloq!”

Of course Indiana had guessed who 'the woman' who had demanded her presence at the bar was. Who else? But Indiana had been escorted in an alcohol fueled haze inside, and it was only the sight of the small woman in a white suit that made her mind clear.

“I should kill you right now,” Indiana told her.

Renée smiled, her monocle flashing. “It wasn't _I_ who dragged the poor girl into this.”

Indiana knew she was right. That's why it hurt. Without her Marion would be alive-

Belloq gestured at the chair opposite her with her cigarette. “Please, sit down before you fall down. We can at least talk like civilized people.”

“Only if you put that out. I might puke otherwise.”

Belloq gave her an amused look but extinguished the cigarette.

The monkey hopped off of Indiana's shoulder as she sat down. Indiana watched it climb onto the chair. It too would probably leave her...

“I see your taste in friends remains the same,” Belloq said, her tone far too cheerful for Indiana's liking.

“And yours keeps getting worse and worse,” Indiana nodded at the Germans watching the two of them further down the bar. “Sallah told me the Germans were talking about you- about a weirdo, although their word choice was less polite than mine.”

Belloq shrugged her petite shoulders. “They are not my friends. We all know that.”

Indiana glared at her. It annoyed her how they had automatically switched to French to talk to each other. It was a suddenly unwelcome reminder of the past they shared.

“I disgust you, no?” Belloq took a sip of her wine. “I know that too.”

“Only for the company you keep,” Indiana hurried to say, and then regretted sounding so defensive immediately. What did she care of what someone like Renée Belloq thought of her or her opinions.

“And admittedly your overall personality,” Indiana spat out.

Belloq set her glass down. “Do you know how difficult it is to get good wine here?” She sighed. “Of course you hate me. I am a shadowy reflection of you, _Professor_. People often hate what they recognize in themselves. What they fear. Things they might do, the choices they might have made if things went differently... You still hang onto the light, desperately. I don't know why. Your father, maybe?”

Indiana refused to look at her. She wouldn't rise to easy bait.

“Is he still deluding himself that his daughter will settle down like a good girl, play house with some square-jawed American man and give him the grandchildren he so wants?”

“Keep that talk up and I might end up throwing up on your expensive shoes.”

“Yes, well, what I want to know is whether you are deluded enough to think you can keep your little act up. It will only take a nudge to push you out of the light and then you can't go back to your cushy little job at the college, not because you can't but because you don't _want to_.”

“If you really think that's the only reason you know nothing...” Of course Indiana had thought of it. Just leaving that side of her life behind. If she would have to choose she would have chosen the freedom of her adventuring life... Probably. But she genuinely enjoyed teaching. She wanted to be there, influencing the next generation of historians and archaeologists. Something Renée, who had never thought of anyone else in her life, couldn't comprehend...

“Oh but I do understand, Jones...”

She leaned in close, her fingers brushing against Indiana's. Indy froze. For a moment she almost thought Renée was going to kiss her.

Not that it hadn't happened before but for her to be this blatant in public- Had she lost her mind?

Perhaps. But the intense look she was giving her was far different from lust.

“Do you realize what the Ark is, Jones?”

Indiana looked her in the eye and for a moment she thought Renée looked beautiful. No, not just that- Indiana recognized that look.

“It's a _transmitter_. A radio for speaking to God. And it is within my reach!”

It was something she understood.

But Renée had been right. Indiana despised seeing it reflected in the other woman.

That kind of madness and greed that had led to Marion's death-

Indiana smiled. “You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do-”

Everything happened fast, then. Indiana pulled her gun. So did the men sitting around them-

And before anyone could pull the trigger, the laughter of children broke the tension.

“Auntie Jones!” Sallah's children called, pulling her with them. “Father was so worried!”

And the tension was gone. Indiana holstered her gun.

Belloq signaled the Germans, who still refused to read the situation, to put away their guns.

“Stand down!” she snapped at them in German.

The children pulled Indiana away towards the door, tugging and yanking her, surrounding her.

“The next time, Indiana Jones, it will take more than children to save you.” Belloq smiled. “Watch your back.”


	5. Marion is dead

Indiana was pulled into the bright sunlight by the cheerful children. “Sallah...”

“Indiana. Are you all right?”

“Marion is dead.”

Indiana stood in the sunlight, and let reality wash over her. Saying it out loud hadn't changed anything. But that fact stood in dark contrast with the people going on about their lives. The bustling city. Sallah's children around them. The locals hurrying on about their business.

Marion was dead.

And it was like the world didn't even care.

“I know,” Sallah told her. “But we can't dwell on it-”

“Dwell on-” Indiana took a deep breath.

He was right.

“Marion is dead but we can't let her death be in vain,” Sallah said.

Indy nodded. “You're absolutely right.”

Marion would have wanted her to see this to the bitter end.

She thought to Marion looking at her, her dark eyes angry and voice bitter.

_You weren't there._

She had been right. Indiana hadn't been there for Marion. But maybe she could now in some small way make amends.

Indy got in the car with Sallah.

Sallah started: “The woman- The Frenchwoman. She-”

Indy gave Sallah a look. “Don't worry about her.”

“My cousins came back from the dig site to report on her progress. She has a medallion similar to the one you needed translated.”

“Tell me everything you know about Belloq's excavation!”

Had she really found an another headpiece?

“They have somehow made a copy of the medallion. She used it at the map room to find the resting place of the Ark but they haven't located the Well of Souls yet.”

Indiana's mind was racing. Why would Renée waste time on her if she knew where the Ark was buried?

“Maybe the map room is damaged, or her calculations were wrong.”

She focused on the Frenchwoman.

Anger.

Good.

_I will not let her win._

* * *

Renée stood straighter, wiping sweat from her brow. She surveyed the city emerging from desert sands.

Tanis.

It was almost a shame this operation was so singularly focused on the Ark. On finding the Ark. The city had more secrets, and the haphazard job Renée was forced to perform was destroying evidence of things the Nazis were not interested in.

Then again, history was not of any real interest to the Nazis. They didn't care about the historical truth and uncovering the past. All they cared about was the Ark-

No, not even that.

They lacked the drive and intellectual curiosity for even that. The men she was forced to tolerate here weren't even driven by the promise of power.

Colonel Dietrich, who technically was in charge of the excavation, was merely doing this because he had been ordered to. Renée knew he didn't really believe the Ark held any supernatural power but he was still determined to deliver it to his Fuhrer.

Because of his commitment to the party and his delusional idea of fatherland.

The man filled Renée with disgust. At least the repulsive creep Major Toht had the decency to merely use his Nazi ideology to satisfy his personal sadistic tendencies.

Toht might have been more dangerous, but Renée could at least understand his motivations.

Dietrich seemed to be purely committed to being a cog in the larger machinery.

But it was a machine that for now, Renée could use for her benefit.

The Ark.

She watched a pile of debris dug out from the ground and unceremoniously deposited on the ground. She winced. For the Nazis, for the diggers hauling the sand and debris there, it was just trash. Just something to get out of the way to get to the things that mattered. Blind to everything it could tell them.

Like how had Tanis been deserted.

It had once been a thriving city with a port and the royal court. But a disaster had fallen on the city and the whole branch of the life-giving Nile had dried out in massive sandstorms.

Renée wanted to know more about that.

She was a scientist and despised made-up fantastical explanations forced onto real historical events. But she had also seen enough things that hinted at the existence of forces beyond what was labeled the natural world.

And she wanted to study it.

Cut open the mystical and peer inside. Make sense of it.

Make sense of God.

None of the people here understood. Renée had to admit, a big part of why she had gone to confront Indiana had been to talk to her. She was knowledgeable about this all at least.

She understood-

But that had gone horribly. It was bizarre, how they were so similar, and how that just led to them coming into conflict like this...

Years ago, Renée had been certain Indiana would one day decide she couldn't pretend anymore and simply abandon her university life. Perhaps join Renée-

It was time to abandon such speculations.

_Disappointing._

Renée wondered if she had been ready to get Indiana killed at the bar.

In the moment she had thought so. She had accepted that it had been time to put an end to their rivalry. Indiana had been an interesting, a very _stimulating,_ adversary, but all things had to come to an end.

But Renée had been undeniably relieved as the children dragged Indiana away...

No time to think about that.

Indiana had made her choice.

_She will try to get the Ark._

What information did she have? It was possible the medallion was destroyed in the fire back in Nepal but Renée wasn't all that certain of it.

_I should act based on the assumption Jones has the medallion. And that she will attempt to get the Ark by any means necessary._

Renée stopped to self-reflect on why she was so certain.

_That's what I would do._


	6. Personal reasons

Indiana pulled the robe around her and pretended it was to avoid the sand in the air. She was tall enough to pass as a man easily enough but if someone tried to talk to her she might get caught-

But the trick was looking like you fully knew what you were doing and that you belonged there.

Indiana was good at that.

She surveyed the Nazi camp.

The Ark! The Nazis were so close and yet so far!

Belloq's calculations had been correct, based on the information she had had. And she might be able to figure out where she made the error once she found nothing in the building she was excavating. Maybe the Nazis would denounce her theories and abandon the project before she had the chance.

But Indy couldn't rely on that.

The Ark needed to be kept safe.

She had to find it-

One of the most coveted archaeological relics! So many people had spent their whole lives chasing after it.

People like Abner Ravenwood.

Indiana thought of him and how he would feel now, if he knew Indiana, once his favorite pupil, was about to uncover it. Would he be pleased? Or would he be disgusted the woman who had ruined his daughter would be the one to bring his life's work to conclusion?

Marion.

_I will find the Ark. For Marion's sake-_

Indy almost walked into a Nazi guard.

She had to get to the other side of the camp. She felt the looks on her back and walked to the nearby tent, doing her best to look like she was just one of the diggers.

The tent looked to be empty-

Something moved in there, behind the boxes...

A stifled woman's voice mumbled something.

Indy stepped closer.

“Marion!”

The other woman looked up at her and tried to pull free.

Indiana knelt next to her. “Marion! I thought you were-”

She pulled off the rag from her mouth and pulled her into a desperate kiss.

She was alive, and real-

“The Ark, Marion!” Indiana shook her by the shoulders. “I located it!”

Marion shook her head. “Just set me free and we can run-”

_Run?_

But if they did that the camp would be alerted. The Nazis would hunt them down, and they would be unable to get the Ark.

She was so close she could taste it! No way could she give up now!

Indy hesitated. “Are you all right?”

“What?”

“Did they hurt you?”

Marion shook her head. “No. Just searched me for the medallion and then left me here!”

Indiana stopped. “If they haven't hurt you by now they won't do it anytime soon.”

“What are you saying?”

Indiana looked at her. “Marion. Listen. I did wrong in the past. But I will make it all better, okay?”

“Start by untying me!”

She was loud. If the Nazis heard her-

“I'm sorry but I am doing this to protect you.”

Marion struggled as Indy pulled the cloth back on her mouth.

“You're safe here. Once I have the Ark...”

Marion glared daggers at her.

Indiana stood up.

“I will come back for you. I promise.”

Maybe she hated her now. But Indiana could live with it, she was making a sacrifice to protect her, after all.

And once she had the Ark Marion would surely forgive her for everything.

* * *

Marion shot a glare at the German soldier who pushed her into the tent. She pulled at her restraints, wishing her hands weren't tied. If her fists were free-

”Bonjour, Miss Ravenwood.”

Marion turned to direct her glare at the source of the voice. She stared at the woman in a white suit.

”Who are _you_ supposed to be?”

The woman said something in German to the soldier and he pushed Marion forward.

”Leave us,” the woman said.

Perhaps spotting the look Marion gave to the soldier she said: ”We are middle of a Nazi camp. I would not advice you to run. Ah, where are my manners? My name is Renée Belloq.” She stepped to Marion and reached to her wrists. ”Please, allow me.”

With a quick flick of her small knife she released her.

Marion glared at her, rubbing her wrists and taking note of what pocket the small knife disappeared into. ”Belloq?”

Indiana had mentioned the name. At the time Marion had had trouble pinpointing her tone. But seeing what the other archaeologist looked like she could guess some things about their shared history.

”Please. Call me Renée.” She gestured at the small table. ”And feel free to sit down.”

Marion did so, warily. She eyed the fresh fruit and water set at the table.

Figuring there was no use starving herself she took a sip of the water. If her captor was planning to kill or drug her she would have done it already.

”So, what is a girl like you doing in a place like this? And when I say a place like this I mean a Nazi camp,” Marion asked between the mouthfuls of fruit.

”Surely you can appreciate taking your chances where you can? Claiming what you want when you see an opportunity? Didn't Dr Jones teach you that lesson well?” She smiled. ”Ah, but I am not as cruel as she is. The Nazis are no friends of mine but at this time and place they are useful.”

”And you are useful to them I suppose?” Marion watched her disappear to the part of the tent divided by a curtain.

”They believe so.”

”And do they believe I will be useful to them as well?” Marion evaluated her chances if she ran to the door of the tent.

Before she could make her decision Belloq returned with a cardboard box.

”Your clothes. I must apologize in behalf of my... acquaintances. The least I can do.”

Marion gave her a skeptical look before opening the box as if a coiled up cobra might leap at her.

She lifted the light blue men's dress shirt. The quality of the fabric alone was far better than anything she had worn in years.

”I believe they are in your size, more or less.”

Marion gave her a look. So, she was making her intentions clear. Not that Marion hadn't guessed. The Frenchwoman was sending some pretty clear signals about her preferences with the way she dressed and held herself, and it must have been difficult finding women to sleep with in a Nazi camp.

So of course, if she knew or guessed about Marion's past with Indiana she would assume-

Marion bristled at the idea of being marked like this by _her._

By Indiana.

”So, why am I here now?” She looked Belloq in the eye and got up. ”Do the Nazis believe I can be useful or am I here for _personal_ reasons?”

She walked behind the curtain and pulled the men's clothes out of the box. They were nice, but compared to the feminine outfit she was wearing...

She would be obvious, wearing these.

 _But to Hell with that,_ she thought as she started to undress, kicking her dirty torn clothes off. _They will see me come out of her tent and assume things happened anyway_.

”I won't lie, the Nazis believe you know more about the medallion than we do at the moment. I am not certain of that and am confident I can locate the Ark even without your help. My motives are indeed...” She stopped to appreciate Marion walking back, ” _personal_ , as you put it.”

”You want to fuck.”

Belloq looked up from pouring wine in two glasses. ”I would joke about American manners but I suspect this is more likely the result of being subjected to Jones's methods of seduction.”

Marion sat opposite of her. ”At least she was honest. You know what you get with her.”

Belloq looked at her and Marion wondered if she was going to call her out.

Back then, ten years ago, Marion had been naive and in love.

 _A child_ , she thought bitterly.

Indiana had swept her off her feet and Marion had been willing to give her everything.

She had believed, with a naivety of protected youth, that everything would be fine. That Indiana would love her, and care for her, and take her away...

Marion had believed there was nothing Indiana couldn't do and that she would save her.

The older woman hadn't been interested in anything like that.

She had disappeared without a trace one day, and Marion had waited for her to return, like a fool...

Her father's words rang in her ears.

_People like that will always betray your trust sooner or later. They have no true allegiance to anything and think they can live by their own rules._

Marion had not argued against him, but had been so certain Indiana would come for her, so sure that she was making some grand heroic plan to get her away from her father...

But her father had been right. Marion had been naive.

But now she knew what Indiana Jones was like.

She had had her fun, and once it was over had abandoned Marion, never looking back.

Eventually Belloq spoke. ”So what do you get out of it?”

Marion took a sip of her wine. ”Get out of it? You are assuming her and I are an item now? We are not. Our arrangement is purely professional.”

She evaluated Renée. Maybe she would choose to sleep with her. Why not? At least now she knew what she was doing.

”So I'm not spoken for, so to speak.”

And knew what exactly she would get out of this.

Renée poured herself an another drink. ”So you have learned that lesson from Indiana? She always was direct. Very well, I will be as well. What is it that you want? Because I am not going to just take advantage of you.”

”Want?” Marion got up and stepped to the seated woman. ”Just one night. What else can there be?”

”More lessons learned from our mutual friend,” Renée said and Marion wondered what the past her and Indiana shared was like.

And how much of this was some kind of payback, some revenge against Indiana.

Renée leaned back in her chair and smiled, as if interested in what Marion would do.

Marion bent down, moving a hand to stroke her cheek. ”I don't want to hear a word about her. Not _now_.”

”She won't give you more, and I am not going to pretend I will either,” Renée said. ”But if you stick with me I can teach you how to look out for yourself. How not to just survive but to _thrive_.”

 _Empty words,_ Marion thought.

She reached to pull Renée into a kiss.

_But if I know it's all lies it's fine._


	7. The Ark is the property of The German Empire

Indiana fought against the terror, of the mere acknowledgment of the writhing masses of the venomous serpents moving in the dark chamber.

Sallah had suggested they'd drop someone else in the Well of Souls, but Indiana had refused. It had to be her.

Although she was really hoping now she would have taken his offer...

No.

It had to be her.

She had to make sure things were safe, no one else could do this job.

She set up torches to keep the reptiles away and made her way further into the chamber. The layout of the room was odd. It was really mostly the large threatening statues of Sobek that had any real masterful craftsmanship put into them.

And those were set up to scare away any intruders...

She approached the only thing in the room apart from the statues, a dark completely undecorated sarcophagus. She took a deep breath and set her hand on it.

She needed Sallah's help to open the stone lid.

_It is supposed to be me who sets eyes on the Ark first. Alone-_

She shook her head. She had to act quick.

She walked back to the opening. “Sallah? I need help down here.”

She watched him descend. Too slow. The Ark was in her grasp.

“Indiana?”

She turned to face him. “What?”

“Nothing.”

* * *

Sallah watched the fire from Indiana's torch cast flickering shadows on her face.

And he shuddered.

He felt unwelcome here, in this underground tomb for the Ark.

_This is not a place for humans._

And yet as he watched Indiana walk towards the black stone block... She looked like she belonged there. Like she was on a quest, perhaps-

“Help me with this.”

“We might need more people,” Sallah pointed out. “I can ask-”

“No. Us two is enough.”

Sallah nodded, doing his best to ignore the unease, and took hold of the lid. The two of them managed, just barely, and moved the stone off. It fell on the floor. Sallah was startled by the thunderous sound of rock hitting rock.

He took a step back, as if his instinct was telling him something terrible lay in wait.

His eyes were on Indiana who moved to the sarcophagus with an unreadable expression on her face.

She peered inside. She smiled.

Sallah shuddered.

She looked like she was wrapped up in her own world. As if she was peering through time and space, being present at some momentous event the significance of Sallah couldn't quite grasp of.

_And I do not wish to._

* * *

Indiana fastened the ropes around the wooden box and after checking it was secure sent the Ark up. She watched the box disappear into the opening.

When suddenly she knew something was wrong. Some odd sound-

”Sallah?”

The rope dropped down.

”Sallah!”

He couldn't have been planning to leave her here? To get the Ark for himself-

She had been a fool to trust anyone, the Ark was simply too big of a temptation. Even a loyal friend like Sallah would-

Indiana looked up. A human figure silhouetted against the morning sun.

It was not Sallah.

”Bonjour, Doctor Jones!”

Indiana's blood ran cold.

Not again-

”Belloq!”

* * *

Belloq looked down on her enemy, savoring the moment. The expression on Indiana' face, as she realized she had lost the Ark, was _delicious._

Renée had won.

Finally, she had the Ark.

She turned to look at the wooden box containing her prize.

”Once again we see there is nothing you can possess that I cannot take away.”

She could see a figure move between her and the Ark.

Dietrich.

”The Ark is now the property of The German Empire, under the leadership of our glorious Führer,” the German soldier informed Indiana.

He gave a pointed look to Belloq. She wondered about the implication.

”Do not fear, Miss Jones,” Dietrich gestured towards the other soldiers. ”You will not have to suffer your fate alone.”

Just before they pushed Marion in Belloq realized what they were planning to do.

Her first impulse was to step in, to stop it.

But-

_The Ark._

If she acted-

Renée hesitated, and as she did so Marion was pushed into the Well of Souls.

Marion screamed.

”Marion!” Indiana called.

Belloq stepped forward to see Indiana catch her.

”Close the opening,” Dietrich instructed.

He looked at Renée, clearly challenging her.

Renée was suddenly very aware of how she had no allies.

_I am surrounded._

Even if she acted all she'd do would be putting herself at risk.

”Renée!” Marion screamed.

Renée turned away. ”I will need to look after the Ark and make sure it is handled properly.”

She walked away, doing her best not to show any emotion as Marion's yell was cut short by the closing of the stone door.

_Marion and Indiana are gone._

She could hear a giggle.

She turned towards Major Toht. ”You got something to say?”

”Cold, Fräulein, cold. Was she not your friend?”

”Absolutely not. I admit I wish I could have... Enjoyed her _company_ more but alas.”

”It is your mission to the Führer that matters, for a moment there I worried she was going to be a distraction.”

She knew full well they wouldn't buy her allegiance to Nazi Germany so she didn't even bother trying to lie about it.

”I have been promised a considerable amount of money when I deliver the Ark to Germany. I am fully motivated to do that.”

”Like I said. Cold.”

Renée ignored him and walked to the truck to see to the Ark.

* * *

Marion pushed away from Indiana. ”Let me go!”

She stopped at the sight of the snakes. ”In what kind of trouble have you gotten me now?”

Indiana handed her a torch. ”This will keep them away for a bit...” She looked around the small chamber. ”There must be an another way out.”

”Must be?”

Indiana gave her an awkward smile. ”I am hoping so.” She gestured at the chamber they were in. ”This seems to be a repurposed tomb. They must have needed a quick place to stash the Ark in. If you look here... Some of the wall carvings depict a scene from the Book of the Dead and there-” She pointed at the wall. ”There you see it was left unfinished. See, this carving here, it's just the preliminary work with none of the detail-”

It was familiar, this lecture mode she slipped in so easily. A decade ago Marion had sat listening to her for hours... Marveling at how her father had never made history sound quite so exciting-

She couldn't afford to get mired in the past. First things first. They needed to get out of there.

”So there's the original entrance somewhere?”

”Hopefully.”

Indiana hesitated. ”Why don't you go... Check that bit of wall?”

Something was off. Marion crossed her arms. ”Why don't you go check it yourself?”

Indiana made a face. Marion stared at her. And then the things slithering out of the wall.

“Snakes. Indiana... Are you afraid of-”

“Not _afraid_ , merely cautious. But see, they must be coming from somewhere.”

Marion turned towards the wall. It seemed like a part of it had collapsed... She should be able to fit...

“You owe me for this,” she muttered before squeezing through.

She coughed at the cobwebs. “What if there are cat-sized spiders down here? Will you come and _heroically_ save me from those or are they also-”

Marion gasped. “There are dead people down here.”

“How fresh?”

“How- I don't know. Mummified.” Marion nudged one with her foot. “Falling apart.”

“They must be workers left here to die... To keep the location a secret.” Indiana groaned. “I need to come through there won't I?”

Marion watched her suffering and couldn't help the smug look. “They're just little snakes.”

Indiana inspected the mummies. “It looks like they were huddled down here... Poor bastards... Look here, here is where they blocked the exit... The original entrance to the tomb...” She pushed against the wall. It didn't budge.

“If they couldn't get out... They would have known if there was a way out,” Marion pointed out.

“Now, let's not throw in the towel just yet... This chamber...” Indiana looked to be deep in thought.

“Let's see what we got here. When they built this thing... Those statues of Sobek sure look huge-”

Marion got it. “We might be able to use one of them to break through the wall.”

Indiana stared at her. “I was going to say they must have rebuilt part of the wall to get them inside and that might be easier to get through but... We can do that.”

She gave her torch to Marion. “Keep the snakes out.”

Marion watched her climb the statue. She almost told her to be careful. She hesitated. Indy knew how to take care of herself. “Does it look like you can move it?”

Indiana braced herself against the wall. “Maybe!”

Marion could hear the giant statue moving. “Wait, you are on it did you think this through?”

“No!” Came her reply. “But we don't have time for that!”

Marion stepped away, watching in horror as the statue fell against the wall. With Indy riding it.

“Indiana!”

Marion tried to see through the dust. “Indiana!”

_Please don't be dead- You can't die like this no no-_

The archaeologist appeared from the dust. “I'm fine, I'm fine!” Horror flashed on Indiana's face. “No!”

Marion hurried to her. “What? Are you hurt?”

Indiana looked around. A relieved smile spread on her face as she reached to pick something up.

“I thought I lost my hat.”

“I could punch you!”

“No time for that. Look! Sunlight!”

She pushed at the block in the wall. It moved.

Blessed sunlight flooded the chamber.

Freedom.

They climbed into the outside world.

Indiana turned to Marion. ”We need to get the Ark. I don't know what Renée is planning to do but if the Nazis have their way it will go straight to Germany.”

Marion paused. ”Renée?”

”Belloq.” Indiana gave her a look. ”The French archaeologist- I think you might have met her.”

Marion met Indiana's eyes. ”I _might_ have, yes.”

Indiana looked away. ”Renée is only on one side. Her own. That's how it has always been.”

”Oh so you know her?”

”It's a long story. We were students together, she revealed her true colors and ended our friendship and few years after that became a mercenary archaeologist.”

”Ah I see. A tale as old as time.”

”Doesn't matter. What matters is that Renée isn't to be trusted. If I know her, and I do unfortunately, she has her own plans for the Ark, and I'm not all that certain I want it in her hands any more than the Nazis'.”

”I'm not convinced the Ark should be in anyone's hands,” Marion noted.

* * *

_The Ark is mine._

Renée watched the Nazis scuttle around the excavation, preparing to leave.

They certainly would object to that...

Then again, they barely mattered.

”Belloq.”

Renée turned towards Dietrich. ”Yes? I am busy, make it quick.”

”Oh yes I noticed. What is the meaning of this?”

Renée eyed the paper waved in front of her. ”I took the incentive to relay my recommendations to the crew. We must hurry to Germany.”

”That is not the issue. Why are we not taking the plane directly to Berlin?”

”Sloppy, Colonel. If you read the report you'd know. I gave my reasoning. The Ark is a fragile ancient artifact. The changes in air pressure might cause it irreparable damage. My professional opinion is that unless you want to risk it cracking it needs to be transported either by land or on a cargo ship.”

Dietrich gave her a suspicious glare. ”I should have been informed beforehand.”

”Why? I am the archaeological expert that's why I was hired. This is my _job_. Do not let your guard down. We still need to get the Ark to Berlin. In one piece, preferably. And you need me to do it, evidently.”

”And my responsibility is to make sure the Ark is safe-”

He was interrupted by an explosion in the distance.

Renée turned towards the pillar of fire. But it was no supernatural occurrence.

”Jones!” she exclaimed.

”What? Impossible. She was trapped in the-”

”She is harder to kill than you think.”

_Marion. Is she also-_

”You were just saying you were responsible for the safety of the Ark. Then get to it!” Renée snapped at him.

Dietrich didn't stop to argue, quickly moving to the truck the Ark was loaded in.

Renée climbed into the car.

She gave one last look to the smoke in the distance.

_They do not matter, either._


	8. She is not like you

Marion pulled Indiana into safety of the tent. ”Just stay here!”

The explosion of the aircraft still rang in her ears.

If they could hide for a while-

Sallah entered the tent. ”Indiana! If you still want the Ark, they are loading it into the truck-”

Indy looked up. ”Truck? What truck?”

There was a distinct impression for Marion that she had lost her. She followed Indy and Sallah out of the tent, trying to stay low. The Nazis were running around the campsite, but it seemed they were prioritizing getting the Ark away over trying to hunt down them.

Indiana's full attention was on the wooden crate being lifted into the truck.

”I'm going after that truck.”

”How?” Sallah asked.

”I don't know I'm making this up as I go.”

Marion watched Indiana mount the white horse and ride after the truck.

She didn't look back.

”She will be fine.”

Marion turned to look at Sallah.

He continued: ”I have seen her overcome obstacles much bigger than this.”

Marion tried to force a smile on her face as she watched Indiana gallop into the distance.

After the Ark.

After Belloq.

There was an odd feeling she was left out.

That there was some world out there she could never be a part of.

* * *

Marion smiled to the child. She wasn't sure which one of the nine children this was. One of the middle ones, one of the twins, maybe. Marion reached her hand at the girl who seemed to be around ten years old.

Sallah had taken Marion back to Cairo and left her with his wife and children before disappearing to do who knew what.

The girl didn't take Marion's hand. Marion waved at her awkwardly.

”She doesn't speak English much,” her mother Fayah interrupted.

She said something in Arabic to the girl before turning towards Marion.

”I try to make sure they learn as many languages as possible.”

”Oh?”

Abner had always been hesitant to teach Marion languages beyond the little French he thought it was proper for a girl to know, so she had had to pick up what she could herself from books she had gotten hold of. Even when Abner and Marion had been traveling Marion had had only few chances to meet people.

Fayah smiled. ”When I first met Sallah I did not speak his language. As a child I learned the Domari language from my mother, later learned Italian from the people I worked for, Sallah spoke local Arabic and some English and French. But we made it work. Love is a great motivator.”

”That sounds wonderful. So then you make sure your kids speak all of these languages?”

She bent down to the child's level and spoke clearly. ”Hello. My name is Marion.”

The girl looked at her mother before giving Marion a shy smile. ”Hello. Jasmine.”

Marion nodded. ”Very good.”

Jasmine gestured at her younger siblings with a questioning look.

Fayah told her something in a language Marion didn't recognize and repeated in English: ”It's okay, you can go play.”

Marion watched Jasmine join her siblings.

She thought of Indiana, riding after the truck. Chasing after the Ark.

Whatever she was doing felt like it was so far away.

A different reality from the peaceful household washed in the warm afternoon sun...

There was a knock on the door and Sallah and Indy hurried inside.

”We got it!” Sallah exclaimed. ”We got the relic!”

Marion stood up to greet Indiana. She observed the archaeologist in her dusty leather jacket and torn trousers.

Indiana noticed her staring and pulled the jacket tighter on herself. But not before Marion spotted blood.

It was an unwelcome reminder and for a moment Marion irrationally wished Indy hadn't come back and brought this reminder of violence into this peaceful home.

_But then again, could I really remain here forever?_

* * *

Marion laughed at Sallah's anecdote about some people he had worked with at a dig years ago. She had started out listening politely but the man had won her over. She could see why Indiana trusted him.

Indiana.

Marion turned to look at her.

Indiana was sitting at the fire. She stood up and walked to the small truck they had arrived in and peeked inside as if the crate containing the Ark might have disappeared into thin air while she wasn't directly staring at it.

”When's our ride here?”

”Patience, my friend!” Sallah exclaimed. ”Captain Katanga is here soon! The _Bantu Wind_ is swift! You will be in England in no time and once there-”

Indiana gave him a look. ”Can we trust him?”

Sallah patted his chest. ”I would trust him with my life! He is like family!”

Indiana nodded.

”Someone's jumpy tonight,” Marion noted.

She had spotted blood on Indiana's arm before but the older woman had refused to go to the hospital, instead insisting they had to leave the country as soon as possible.

She was right, but-

”I will only relax once we get the Ark safely to the US,” Indiana mumbled.

* * *

Marion sat on the bed next to Indiana.

She had finally removed her leather jacket in the privacy of the cabin they had been given. At least she didn't seem to be bleeding too much... The red stain on her shirt wasn't as alarming as Marion's imagination had insisted.

But still-

”Take off your shirt.”

Marion laughed at the shocked expression on Indiana's face. ”Or are you planning to bleed to death?”

Indiana glanced at the blood on her arm. ”It's barely a flesh wound.”

”It can still get infected. Or have you learned some decency in these ten years? It's nothing I haven't seen before.”

”I see you're a tough dame now.” But she sat up to pull her shirt off.

”You're the one to talk.” Marion watched her remove her shirt.

Her form was familiar. Older now, with new scars, but it was the same body that had pressed against Marion all those years ago, that Marion had clumsily explored, in awe that this was something she could do-

Now Marion ran her fingers on the same skin, less inexperienced, more determined to keep Indiana alive.

Not that the gash was as bad as Marion had feared. Although the way Indiana had grimaced as she moved made Marion wonder if there was any internal injury.

Indiana jumped as the disinfectant touched her skin.

”Careful!”

”You can't be serious.”

”Do I really need to be in _more_ pain right this moment? I think my elbows are the only part of my body that survived unscathed.”

”Oh don't complain. You're alive, aren't you?”

”And so are you.”

Indiana looked up at Marion. She sounded relieved.

 _Oh dear God I am falling for her,_ Marion thought.

* * *

Indiana watched Marion clean her wound. The touch on her shoulder was firm but gentle- She couldn't help letting her mind wander to other ways their bare skin could brush against each other.

They worked well together. Could they even be...

She struggled to find the word and settled for 'partners'.

Not in the sense of a mere business partnership, more than friendship... A woman Indiana could share every aspect of her life with. Could she do that with Marion?

Indiana had thought so, ten years ago.

Marion had always been exceptional. But Indiana hadn't intended for it to be anything serious. It hadn't even occurred to her that it _could_ be.

But then Abner had found out.

And the thing Indiana had feared the most when he had confronted her over it had been losing Marion.

Not her reputation. Not her career she had been building for years. Not her personal safety.

She had been faced with the prospect of losing what she had with Marion and had decided to fight for the relationship.

And she had told Abner she would take Marion away. For a glorious moment she had seen a future for the two of them, as she defended their love in front of Marion's father.

But then reality had hit.

She could hear Abner's words in her head even now.

_Do you really think you could take care of her? Especially if you have no job?_

The threat had been clear. If Indiana tried to take Marion away he would ruin her.

Indiana had hesitated. And then-

 _She is not like you, Indiana_.

Abner had genuinely believed that. He could still look at her daughter and just see a misguided child.

He could still love her...

So Indiana had walked away.

She watched Marion. She hadn't been a child even then but there was world weariness in her now that made her seem older than her years- No, it wasn't that, she had just been badly hurt.

”Marion...”

Indiana wondered how to tell her that. How she had wanted to take her away. That she was sorry. Or if she even should.

Abner had been Marion's father. And he was dead. Maybe it would only hurt Marion, trying to open up old wounds...

And maybe Marion deserved to think her father had been a good man. Maybe Abner had been, maybe even if he couldn't have understood Marion Abner could have had some kind of a connection with her-

_Do I have the right to ruin Marion's image of her father?_ _Memories are the only thing she has left of him._

Indy's thoughts were interrupted as she heard something.

She stood up. ”Can you hear that?”

Marion looked around. ”What? It's quiet.”

”That's the problem. The engines stopped.”

Indiana pulled her shirt back on and stood up. ”I'll check it out.”

She stepped into the empty corridor.

Something was wrong.

* * *

Marion watched Indiana disappear into the ship. Once again leaving her behind.

She searched the cabin for a weapon. She had a bad feeling about this-

By now she heard sounds. People speaking-

In German.

She had just stepped out of the cabin when a German soldier appeared and took hold of her shoulder.

Marion struggled as he tried to pin her against the wall. ”Don't you touch me!”

The soldier stepped back, pulling out his gun. Marion stood straight, figuring it was best to go with him, taking the fact at last she wouldn't be manhandled as a win.

She was led out of the ship and to the deck.

Marion gasped. ”Renée!”

”Did they hurt you?” The Frenchwoman stepped closer and reached to stroke her cheek. ”Did she hurt you?”

Marion looked her in the eye. ”What?”

”It's all right now,” Renée told her, feverish terrifyingly familiar look passing on her features. ”I have the Ark.”

”Where is the Jones woman?” The tall German officer asked. Dietrich, Marion thought.

Captain Katanga stepped forward. ”She met with a little accident. Was too... violent for our taste. We threw her body overboard for the sharks. Had I known she was a wanted criminal I would have kept the body. Maybe we can still come to some agreement? I can show you where we dropped her corpse? Maybe there's a foot or two still drifting around?”

”Do not try to negotiate with me!”

Dietrich stepped towards Marion but was blocked by Belloq.

”Is that true?” Belloq asked. ”Never mind. She no longer matters...”

She took Marion's hand. ”Come on.”

Belloq looked at the German officer. ”She is coming with me.”

When Dietrich hesitated Belloq continued: ”I would love to remind you that we have the Ark, and that I am the only person here who knows how to get it to Germany safely. Or would you like to try your luck? Risk being the one to explain to your Führer why the precious artifact he wanted was ruined?”

Dietrich mumbled something Marion's limited German didn't catch but she was fairly certain it was a slur directed at Renée.

He shot a look at her and Marion supposed it was aimed at her as well.

She turned to Renée who led her away and towards the sub. ”You can't-”

The Frenchwoman looked at her and Marion felt that sick feeling in her stomach again.

She didn't really see her.

She took Marion to the submarine and led her to the tiny forward cabin.

Marion refused to look at her. She stiffened as a hand stroked her cheek.

”Come on, look at me.”

Marion glared at her.

When Renée leaned forward, Marion slapped her.

Renée pulled back, holding her cheek.

Marion met her eyes.

The archaeologist was calculating. But it wasn't that look she had had before...

Her eyes were sharp once more, less clouded by obsession.

”You have had a change of heart, my dear?”

”Things are little different,” Marion said, not certain how.

Renée regarded her in silence for a time.

”You feel something for Jones, is that it?”

Marion looked away.

Maybe she did. She knew it was a bad idea, but so would be getting involved with Belloq...

”Poor Jones...” Renée said, and her tone was weird enough for Marion to turn to stare at her.

”What is that supposed to mean?” Marion demanded to know.

”You don't even know if she is alive, do you?”

_No, she must be alive... Had they found her and killed her I would know._

”I thought you didn't care.”

”I don't.” Renée tilted her head. ”I really do not,” she said as if surprised at herself.

”That Ark is doing something to your brain,” Marion snapped.

”You wouldn't understand.”

”But I do!”

Marion reached out to her hand now. She squeezed Renée's hand. ”I have seen this obsessed look on my father's face before! And-”

She let go, realizing it now. ”And on Indiana's-”

Back then, at the tent, when she had left her behind-

Renée stood up. ”Like I said, you do not comprehend this! Indiana maybe would have-” she shook her head. ”But the Ark is mine. I win.”

”Win? That's all this is about?”

_Was it ever about me?_

To Marion's shock the realization hurt.

Renée didn't reply, stepping out of the cabin and leaving her alone.


	9. This is history

Marion sat still in the empty tiny cabin, torn.

She thought back to Renée, and how for a moment her eyes had been clear of obsession with the damned Ark.

_Am I really that easy?_

But she had wanted to believe Renée had had some good in her.

Marion shook her head. Renée had told her it wouldn't be anything serious.

_Indiana..._

Marion had wanted to forgive her too.

 _Maybe I am just lonely_.

She closed her eyes, thinking about the situation. No time to get deep into self pity. There were more important things going on than her miserable and non existent love life.

The Ark.

No, Marion had a terrible feeling if she thought of it as important she too would lose herself to it.

But it _was_ important. The Nazis were not to be allowed to gain access to it. She couldn't let herself get mired in personal feelings over Renée _or_ Indiana.

If push came to shove Marion would be willing to sacrifice either of them to secure the Ark.

She was the only person who could do it.

The two archaeologists had been lured in by the Ark's promise of power and knowledge.

It would be up to Marion to make the difficult choices.

* * *

Marion walked to the cabin door and kicked it for what felt like the 50th time this trip. Just like in the preceding 49 times, it refused to move.

But there had been a change in her surroundings...

The low rumble of the submarine had quieted. She laid her ear against the door. She could hear men walking past, shouting in German...

The door made a sound and she jumped back.

Renée stepped in, accompanied by two German soldiers.

”Time to go, Miss Ravenwood.”

All the humanity Marion had seen in her eyes before was gone.

* * *

Indiana dragged herself into the dark behind the crates. She shivered. At least she was getting some feeling back to her fingers now that she was out of the water.

In hindsight, attaching herself to the periscope of the submarine had been insane.

But what else could she have done? She couldn't lose the Ark now...

She peered out to see them move the familiar crate out of the submarine. Would it be taken to a ship?

She spotted Belloq, her white suit standing out amongst the German uniforms. She laid her hand on the crate before turning to talk to the Colonel.

 _She is up to something_.

Indiana kept her eyes on the Ark. She wished she knew what exactly Renée was planning-

From her vantage point Indiana could spot blue.

_Marion!_

Marion was pushed forward by the Nazi soldiers. Indiana gritted her teeth, frustrated at her own helplessness. It was her against what was at the very least several dozen Nazis. She needed a diversion.

She eyed the very crates she had hidden behind. Explosives-

She thought back to the exploding truck.

_I think I have my diversion._

* * *

Renée stepped forward, barely aware of the people around her.

She walked to the wooden crate, waving away the soldiers who had carried it to the small supply room.

She could feel it. This really was the Ark of the Covenant. Her fingers brushed against the wood and a shiver ran on her back.

”I will need to remove it from the container. This is an extremely delicate operation.” She turned to the Nazi officer. ”Where is the equipment I requested?”

”I will bring them to you. The- the blue canvas-”

”The blue cloth required to cover the Ark for transport!” Renée snapped. ”The wooden poles for lifting it!”

”I think you should get Fräulein the- heh, ritual equipment she requested.”

Renée turned to the black-coated Nazi. She frowned. What was he even doing here?

At least his words made the soldier leave through the door.

”I am afraid you do not understand the significance of this,” Renée told him.

She would have preferred it was just her preparing the Ark. But she was resigned for humoring him for a bit longer. She had a feeling he wouldn't leave her alone with the Ark.

”I can perhaps understand the importance of- of religious paraphernalia. What I do not quite understand is why is your little friend here?”

Renée blinked. She had for a moment forgotten the presence of Ravenwood.

”She is required.”

She had thought so, a moment ago.

_Ravenwood..._

It was just the three of them. Renée struggled to recall the name of the bespectacled Nazi...

Toth? No... But it didn't matter.

”The ritual has already began. The removal of the Ark from the crate will require utmost precision. Miss Ravenwood's father was an Ark expert, she has the skills required to assist me in this.”

Renée turned towards the crate. ”Open it.”

She watched the golden box emerge from the wooden wrappings. ”Yes, good... Do not touch it...”

She gestured at Marion. ”Bring me the covering. The blue cloth!”

Marion handed the other end of the blue cloth to her.

Renée moved to the Ark. ”Help me cover it- Never touch it- That's it...”

The golden brilliance disappeared under the blue veil.

”The poles, next-”

She was interrupted by an explosion.

Marion acted fast. With a second swing of the pole Toht screamed and fell to the floor.

Marion dropped the pole and ran to the door. She gave one last look to Renée before opening the door.

”Stop!”

Marion froze. Renée stared at Toht, his gun out now, aimed at Marion.

Toht cursed in German and pulled the trigger-

Without stopping to think Renée pulled out the small gun she always had in her pocket. Toht had no time to react. A bullet hit his temple and his eyes widened in surprise as he fell down, dead.

Marion gasped.

Toht let out a gurgle. Somewhere at the back of her mind Renée wondered if this was how he had expected to go. Quick. Painless...

”Come on!”

Renée frowned, staring at Marion.

The other woman reached out her hand. ”What the hell are you standing around for? Let's go!”

Wordlessly, Renée turned her back on her.

The Ark.

She breathed in relief at the sight of the relic. It was safe.

_Death in the presence of it...Sacrilege..._

The door slammed shut, snapping Renée out of it.

Marion was gone.

Renée hurried to the door. The main room was filled with smoke, Nazi soldiers running about, trying to figure out what was going on. Renée watched Marion disappear into one of the small rooms.

Renée pulled back into the storage room. It was as if a spell of some kind had broken. She had to act, quick.

_Stupid! Stupid stupid!_

She wasn't certain who she meant. Marion for running away? Toht for trying to shoot her?

Herself for risking everything now?

_And for what?_

With effort, she managed to drag the body behind the barrels and pulled a military canvas over it.

Renée cursed Marion. She had almost cost her everything.

She had almost cost her _the Ark-_

Right?

The door slammed open.

Dietrich.

Before he could say a word she told him: ”Get your men here, we will need to move the Ark. Immediately.”

”Where is Major Toht?”

Renée looked up. ”Hm? He took off with the Ravenwood girl. For 'interrogation' I gather. I was not interested in the details.”

Dietrich stared at her, unaware of the body laying just few meters from him. If he turned his head slightly he'd see the suspicious shape barely covered by a sheet.

He did not turn.

He merely gave Renée a suspicious look before barking orders at the soldiers to lift the Ark and to keep guard in case there was a saboteur in the facility.

Renée led them outside in a procession.

She scoffed at the Nazis lifting their banner over the procession. As if they could lay a claim on a momentous event like this with their little stolen symbols!

The Ark was the only thing that mattered now. With every step she took towards the altar prepared according to her instructions it was like part of her human life was shed away.

She looked up at the sun. A bird flying at the horizon.

She had a mental image of a raven, flying to freedom. Marion running away from her-

It was harder to remember her now. She couldn't quite remember her face...

It didn't matter, now.

* * *

Marion opened the first door she saw, hoping to slip away unnoticed.

_Will Renée raise the alarm?_

She wasn't certain what that all had been about but Marion wasn't about to make the mistake of trusting her. She was as good as gone, her mind possessed by the Ark. Who knew what she would do to keep it now-

Marion's thoughts were interrupted as she came face to face with an armed Nazi.

The Nazi opened his mouth in surprise, either to call for an alarm or ask a question.

Marion wasn't going to be caught now, and picked up a box on the table between them and threw it. It connected with his head, opening and spilling bullets everywhere.

He yelled something in German.

_Dammit I need something heavier._

She kicked him at his knee and he fell down. Marion kicked him in the head as hard as she could. After a kick or two the man lay unconscious.

It only now occurred to Marion to fully take in her surroundings.

A room full of weapons.

Something told Marion she should hurry away from there, this didn't look like the kind of a place that stayed unmanned for long.

But first, she needed a gun. She might not have been as good of a shot as Indy but she knew full well how to use a handgun-

Her gaze fell on the grenade launcher.

_I think I found something better than just a handgun._

* * *

Breath caught on Indiana's throat as she could from her vantage point see Marion almost running into Nazi soldiers before disappearing somewhere in the small base.

A fraction of a second later and she would have been spotted.

But she was safe.

_Marion can take care of herself... What I need to figure out is how to get to the Ark._

She was right, the Nazis, led by Renée, took the Ark through the facility under heavy guard. Indy watched them disappear outside.

_Dammit, I need to figure a way to get down there and after them without being spotted._

She considered stealing a uniform and joining the Nazi convoy but while she might have been able to pull out a disguise like that with some time she wasn't sure if she could risk it, especially if they were on a lookout for her.

_It looks like I need to follow them at a distance._

* * *

Marion gasped, lugging the grenade launcher through the rocky terrain. It was a wonder she hadn't been spotted yet.

_This is it._

She thought back to Indiana's words.

_It looks like I have no choice but to make this up as I go along too..._

She hadn't been spotted, still. If she would just hide, she would be safe.

_No._

She had managed to climb on the hill facing the spot the procession would pass. This was her chance.

Her only chance.

So she stood up and called out:

”Bonjour! May I have your attention please!”

The Nazis scattered, looking up. But as Marion lowered the grenade launcher and aimed it her attention was on Belloq.

The Frenchwoman gasped. ”Marion! What do you think you are doing?”

”What does it look like? I am going to blow that damn thing up!”

Renée barked something in German to the guards. They looked at Dietrich who gave them a sign. They lowered their guns, cautiously.

”The only thing I want gone is the Ark,” Marion told her. ”But I will shoot whether you flee or not!” She was willing to bluff if it was what it took-

Marion paused.

But it was true, wasn't it? Renée was disposable-

Marion thought of it. The cold certainty that had creeped up into her mind.

And she wondered if at that moment she too had had the blank look on her face.

She shook her head. ”This thing does something to people! I don't know if it's greed or a curse or-”

”My dear, you do not understand it,”Renée told her. ”I need to know. No archaeologist could pass this chance.”

”My father devoted his whole damn life to this thing and look where it got him,” Marion spat.

”Marion. My whole life has been dedicated to the pursuit of archaeological artifacts. We are simply passing through history. But this?” She looked at the Ark and she wasn't talking to Marion anymore. ”This _is_ history.”

Marion didn't understand. Why wasn't Renée trying to argue for her own life? Marion didn't care for the Ark but could she kill _her_? All this was doing was convincing her Renée was too far gone-

Marion saw horror on Renée's face and for a moment she assumed Renée thought she was going to shoot. But she was looking behind her-

Marion turned around just in time to see the punch coming.

”Marion!” Renée called out.

Marion dropped the grenade launcher and leaned back. The soldier's punch only grazed her.

But she was outnumbered and unarmed. Marion lifted her hands in surrender.

”Shall I shoot her?” Marion could hear the Nazi asking.

”No!” Renée argued. ”You will _not_ harm her!”

Marion turned to look at the petite woman standing up for her.

The German Colonel looked down on Belloq and the Frenchwoman seemed suddenly so small next to him. She was all alone, surrounded by the Germans.

”You overestimate your importance, Belloq.”

He grasped Renée's arm, twisting it back. ”And I am growing tired of your little charade.”

”What are your orders, Colonel?” the Nazi holding his gun on Marion asked.

Dietrich looked up. ”Keep her alive. For now.”

He twisted Renée's arm. ”In case we need a hostage.” He leaned closer. ”I don't trust her. There might be traps-”

” _I_ _mbécile_ _!_ ” Renée spat. ”Traps? That kind of childish- You can't just open the Ark without the proper-”

Dietrich jammed a gun between Renée's shoulder blades. ”Ah I know, it is a mysterious chest that can only be opened via a _Jewish_ ceremony.”

The Nazis around them laughed.

”I think it is time for us to see what actually is in there. Play nice and perhaps we will let you take a look once we're done.”

”One last look before it all ends, no?” a Nazi giggled.

”Or perhaps a vengeful monster will appear and demand a maiden sacrifice?” Dietrich suggested. ”Surely after being starved for millennia or two it'd even settle for one of your kind.”

Laughter erupted amongst the Nazis.

* * *

Marion watched Renée pushed next to her. The despair on the archaeologist's face was real.

”They are going to open the Ark-”

”What will happen?” Marion asked.

”I don't know... If it was me I could open it safely I'm certain of it-” An odd expression flashed on Renée's face. ”I was very certain of that just moments ago. What was I thinking? I felt like I was privy to some divine knowledge-”

”You still want it,” Marion said.

”Of course I want it! Any archaeologist would! But I think I was maybe a bit, too enthusiastic.”

She looked at Marion. ”I'm sorry. For dragging you into this. I wanted you to see the Ark, I think.”

Marion took her hand. ”I sure have a type.”

”A type?”

”Women who try to drag me to my death. Keep it up, Miss Belloq, and I might genuinely fall for you.”

Even as she spoke it Marion realized it was true. She wasn't certain how she felt about Indiana but right here and right now-

”If you would-” Renée paused. ”It surprises me. But I think I would return those feelings.”

She let out a laugh. ”What a moment to realize that-”

* * *

Indiana finally caught up with the party. She watched Belloq be pushed forward, gun aimed at her head. So, she had finally spent all the goodwill she had earned from the Nazis...

But Indiana's eyes were on the other woman.

Marion.

She had to get her to safety. Her and the Ark...

Maybe if it had happened some other way, if it was Renée initiating it Indiana might have been able to delude herself into believing it was not serious.

But it was Marion touching Renée's cheek, pulling her into a kiss-

Indiana could feel her heart breaking.

Marion and Renée.

Why?

_You know full well why. You had your chance ten years ago-_

And to her surprise she had to admit-

_You also had your chance with Renée. Did you think it would keep being just the same? That she would keep asking you and you could keep comfortably rejecting her, knowing she wouldn't really give up?_

It was terrifying, thinking about how she had lost both of them- how she realized she had assumed there was a chance, up until it was gone.

No time to think about that.

Marion and Renée.

Indiana had to do something or both of them would die.


	10. Don't look at it!

Renée watched the Nazis moving the Ark into the tent that had been prepared according to her instructions.

Marion kept an eye on her face. But while there was anger and despair it was all... Human emotion.

A Nazi soldier reported to Dietrich. ”The Ark is secure, Sir.”

Dietrich walked to the two women. ”What was your plan, Belloq?”

”I was planning to open the Ark, you fool.” She glanced at Marion. ”I think... After reconsidering it... It would be best for now to keep it closed. To study it before-”

Dietrich cut her off, looming over her. ”I will not take orders from you anymore. It has become clear you do not have Germany's best interests in mind.”

Renée smiled. ”I never had any true allegiance to your little... little _empire_ , let's not pretend that. But I do not wish to die.”

Dietrich twirled the small handgun he had removed from Belloq's pocket. "I am done tolerating you." His face distorted in a disgusted snarl. "Deception. Underhanded manipulation. Getting others to do your work for them. Women's tactics."

"She was hired for a reason," Marion argued. "Unlike you, Belloq knows the risks involved with this relic. Are you willing to potentially damage it by trying to force it open?"

Dietrich ignored her. ”Major Gobler, are you sure there isn't any sign of tampering?”

”On the Ark?”

”Perhaps our little friend here already acted. Took the contents away.”

Doubt crossed Gobler's face.

Dietrich sighed, as if this was all simply a major inconvenience. ”Come on, let's see what this Ark thing is all about.”

* * *

Marion saw Renée's expression shift as they were led to the pole on the hill facing the tent. "Renée?"

She didn't look away from the tent where the Ark had been carried to. "Hm?"

Marion winced as the Nazi soldier pulled her hands behind her back. ”What do you think will happen?” Marion asked. ”If they open the Ark.”

To Marion's relief she finally looked at her. ”Your father studied it his whole career. What do you think?”

Marion stopped to think. ”I don't know. To begin with, he did talk to me about what he expected to find inside. Relics. Objects the ancient Jewish people had thought holy. But later I think... It became about the Ark. Not...”

”The Ark madness?”

”I wish I knew,” Marion admitted. ”That thing does things to people. But... So does greed.”

She looked up. Dark clouds were gathering. An unnatural night was falling.

Marion took a deep breath as she was tied to the pole. ”I don't know if it's scarier to think it can lure you in and trap your mind like that or that it's just people being people...”

_And if I want to believe it's all some mystical influence..._

”The air is changing,” Renée pointed out. ”Something is about to happen.”

Marion nodded. The hair at the back of her head was standing up. She stared forward, unable to see Renée from her position. She brushed her fingers against hers...

Marion frowned. For a second she had seen movement in the dark-

She was snapped out of her reverie by Renée.

”Those people... The Nazis... They can't feel it. Their mind is far too clouded. The idiots will open up the Ark and not even- Not even do it to throw their lives away in pursuit of truth...”

”Renée-”

”I know...”

Marion slightly acknowledged the woman sneaking towards to where they were tied up. Their eyes met.

Indiana.

She had come for them.

”Excuse me, Sir,” Marion spoke to the soldier who was holding a machine gun and standing watch next to them. ”I have important information. About the Ark.”

The soldier turned towards her. He opened his mouth.

And fell to ground dead, head smashed with a rock.

”Quick, while their attention is on the Ark.” Indiana got to work cutting the ropes.

With a quick flick of her knife Marion was free. ”Indy...”

Indy nodded. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before reaching to cut the rope restraining Renée. ”We need to get away from here.”

Renée pulled free. ”Indiana. The Ark! They are going to open it!”

A low humming sound flooded the area. Even the Nazis could feel something was happening now.

Marion watched soldiers step out of the buildings. They looked around, confused, as if pulled towards something they didn't understand.

The white tent glowed in the dark, moving as if touched by an unnatural wind.

Indiana looked at Renée. Their eyes met.

Marion shuddered. She didn't like that look at all. ”We need to get away!”

She grasped Renée's hand. ”Renée! Before it's too late!”

She looked at her. ”Marion... Surely you understand? Your father wasted his whole life on this. And now you are so close-”

”It's going to happen no matter what we do,” Indiana said. ”Something has started now, and even if we ran... Marion, you don't get it-”

The light next to them exploded.

”I don't get it?” Marion stepped forward. ”I get it better than either of you do, apparently!”

Indy shook her head. ”Your father- Abner- What would he say-”

Marion trembled with rage. ”Don't you try with that!”

Marion noticed Renée's attention was on her now too. She had to think of something-

Her father had told her things about the Ark. Back when he had been driven by genuine curiosity...

”You can't look at it!” Marion told them.

Renée shook her head. ”Marion. Do you realize what you are asking from me? From us?”

”Yes.”

”To go against our very nature?” Renée asked.

Marion looked her in the eye. ”Do better than your nature, then!”

Renée laughed. ”We are all going to die anyway.”

”I think Belloq is right,” Indy said. ”So does it matter, really? I'd rather die knowing what was inside-”

Marion wondered if it had been this warm all the while. Her heart was beating faster, as if attempting to match the tempo of the humming sound.

"I do not want to die. I don't want either of you to die either-"

Marion closed her eyes.

A wind, simultaneously both freezing cold and scorching hot, hit her.

She could feel herself pushed down, against the hard stone, a warm body on top of her.

She could hear screaming.

Hot unnatural winds circling them-

”Don't look at it!” she screamed. ”Don't!”

Death.

She knew something had descended from the Heaven and it was full of anger and death-

People were screaming now. Marion held onto the person on top of her, burying her fingers on the leather jacket. It was so hard to breathe now. She gasped for air-

_I am going to die._

Wasn't it just cowardice? Not even looking what killed her in the face?

_No!_

She squeezed her eyes shut only tighter.

_I want to live._

And then it was over.

Silence.

Marion opened her eyes. Her gaze met Indiana's.

”You did listen to me...”

Indiana pulled her up and took her into a hug. ”You were right...”

She looked awkward, stepping away. ”I...” She glanced at Renée who was struggling to stand. Indy nodded in her direction. ”You're alive too.”

Marion laughed in relief and pulled the Frenchwoman into a hug. ”I'm glad...”

For a second she could feel the shorter woman tensing against her.

Renée relaxed and wrapped her arms around Marion. ”We are alive.”

* * *

The three of them stared at the golden box.

It lay middle of the devastation of the campsite. The Ark of the Covenant, once more neatly closed.

”We need to figure out what to do with it,” Marion said. ”It can't end up in the wrong hands.”

The destruction it had sown over the Nazis had proven that to her. The dead bodies littering the island, most of them charred, some looking like they had died of pure fright...

”Marion...” Indiana closed her eyes. ”If we are going to do something about it we should act quick. Before I change my mind.” She turned to Renée. ”Are you on the same page with me for once?”

Renée nodded. ”I can't believe I'm going along with this. But yes, there are several boats at the pier of this island. We can take one of them out, there's a deep part of the ocean not too far away-” Renée hesitated. ”I... I think the Ark is bigger than any of us. But it also means that even if we let it go now it will surface eventually. It's not something that will be easily erased.”

”Well it will be someone else's problem, then,” Marion said.

* * *

The three women watched the metallic box, weighed down by the chains around it, sink.

It should have felt more momentous, Marion thought.

But even as it disappeared from sight under the waves, there was no fiery lightning, no wrath of God descending on them.

_Maybe it's a good sign. Maybe it means we did the right thing._

The Ark was gone.

It didn't really feel like the right thing. But not a mistake either-

”I am just. Tired,” Marion said.

Renée slipped an arm around her and Marion leaned into her touch.

”I have a quiet little house in France. It might be best to disappear for a while. For the both of us.”

They both looked at Indiana.

Indy nodded. ”I'll go back to the States. First Egypt to clear some loose ends... But I have people I need to report to.”

* * *

The military officials looked at Brody. ”Doctor Brody. You say the Ark was-”

Brody gestured at the woman sitting next to him. ”Doctor Jones here has given her extensive report on the German expedition. You should talk to her directly.”

”There was an Ark, after a fashion,” Indiana said. ”The German expedition uncovered a 22nd dynasty royal burial. They located a number of artifacts and smuggled them out of Egypt. Along these artifacts there was a funerary ark, similar to the images you see here, from Tutankhamun's tomb. I assume you're aware of that find?”

”The curse, all that?”

”The tomb was of course very real. These sort of funerary arks were not uncommon, although the one the Germans found in Tanis was exceptional- Not the Ark of the Covenant, alas.”

She provided them with the photos of the boxed Ark on the boat. ”I followed them and watched them take the ark to Germany. It's between the Egypt's Bureau of Antiquities and Germany, now. I assume they will present the ark and the funerary treasures they found to Hitler, and he will give them a promotion or two. I suspect the evidence of the expedition will be buried given the illegal nature of the way it was removed from Egypt.”

”Thank you, Miss Jones.”

Brody spoke up. ”I have looked into Doctor Jones's report and I fully agree with her. I will be keeping an eye on the antiques market to see if any of the objects she described will appear. But I fully support her conclusions.” He gave them a polite smile. ”I will stake my reputation on it.”

* * *

”Thank you.” Indiana threw her blazer off, free in the privacy of her home to disregard the more feminine attire she had been wearing to the meeting.

”Don't mention it,” Marcus told her. “Indiana... Can you tell me what really happened?”

Indiana poured a drink to herself. It felt like ages since she had had the toast in this room with Marcus before leaving for Egypt.

Indiana nodded as she offered the bottle to her friend. ”The report was mostly lies. I knew you'd figure it out. You don't have to get involved-”

”Indy...”

”They found it." Indiana took a long sip of the Scotch. This wasn't quite the circumstances she had imagined she'd open up the bottle she had been saving. "I found it. The Ark... I uncovered it in the Well of Souls in Tanis.”

They fell silent.

”You were right,” Indy said eventually. ”About the Ark. It was too dangerous, it wasn't meant for us to possess.”

”I won't ask you where it is now.”

”Thank you.”

”I won't lie, I want to know what happened to it,” Marcus admitted. ”But I know better.”

”You're a smarter person than I was... Without-”

”Did something else happen?”

Indy nodded.

”Something good or bad?”

”For me personally? I don't know. For Marion- I hope good.”


	11. I'm glad

Indiana opened her door. She raised an eyebrow at the person at her doorstep. ”Marion?”

Apart from an unsigned telegram that had simply stated 'everything fine' she hadn't heard of the other two women in over a month.

_I really should have thought of what to say._

Indiana stared at her. She looked good. Her dark brown hair was cropped short and she was wearing a brown suit.

A fairly expensive one, if Indy had to guess...

It felt like there were so many things Indiana wanted to tell her. In the end she went with: ”Hi.”

”Can I come in?” Marion showed her hands. ”I am unarmed. This is not a professional visit if you are wondering about that. Worrying about Renée's influence.”

Indiana hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to let her in. ”Glad to hear that. Is there two of you? Is Renée here?”

Marion walked in. ”Would you want her to be?”

Indy looked out of the door suspiciously. But the front lawn remained Belloqless. ”Is she treating you well?”

Marion shot her an amused look. ”I know how to take care of myself.”

”I know that. But...”

”She's more of a romantic than you ever were.”

Indy nodded. ”I'm glad.”

Marion stepped closer, and reached a hand to stroke Indiana's cheek. ”Oh? Very mature of you.”

Indy took her hand. ”I want you to be happy.”

Marion pulled her down and into a kiss.

Indiana broke the kiss, but stayed close. ”But Renée-”

”You'd want her to join in? I assure you she wouldn't have any objection to that.”

”I... Things are complicated for me.” Indy shook her head. ”I can't just-”

”Come on now, we are leaving for Australia tomorrow. But until then-”

”Australia?”

Marion pulled away, giving her a look. ”I think you can figure it out.”

Indiana's mind was racing, trying to think of what it could be. Australia held many secrets and possible historical sites but if Marion expected her to guess- ”The Arnhem cult-”

She looked at Marion. ”It's real?”

She had been looking into a recent reports from Australia, talking with Marcus about their hypotheses on the Aboriginal cult and if they had moved west, if there might be remnants of their civilization in the Australian wilderness even now. But the reports from explorers and the historical records hadn't been enough to convince either of them an expedition would be worth it. The evidence had been insufficient. But Indy had known there had been more information about the cult out there. Had Belloq unearthed something more specific?

Marion stepped away. ”You can join in later. It will be fun.”

”Fun, huh? Are you telling me Belloq would happily sell whatever she will find to a museum?”

”No. But maybe if you will be around to- to _persuade_ her she just might.” Marion smiled. ”If you can make room in your schedule, Professor.”

There was nothing mocking about the way she said that.

Indiana nodded. ”I think I might.”

”Good. I'm glad.”

Marion gave a small peck on her lips before walking back to the door.

Marion turned to give her a smile. ”It's a date, then.”

Indiana nodded. She almost called after her. There were so many things she wanted to tell her-

Things Marion maybe would understand-

But she could find no words.

So she just nodded. ”We might run into each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End to this fic.   
> I have been writing a bunch of stuff in this AU including how things go from now on for these three, though probably I will publish the Temple of Doom version next, although I'm not sure yet how I will group them in publication.


End file.
